Genre: Horror
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Publication Date: 22nd Jan 2016
Pages: 53
CHAD’S REVIEW:
A copy of The Moon in Your Eyes was sent to
Confessions of a Reviewer by the author Adrian W. Lilly, in exchange for an
honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Amazon Digital
Services
The
Moon in Your Eyes is a great, fun, quickie of a read. I was
looking forward to reading this as, save for Twilight and True Blood, I
kind of felt like werewolves haven’t had a chance to have their time in the
spotlight as of late. Maybe when Hollywood has their fill of witches and creepy
dolls, we can get a good and proper werewolf phase.
I thought the book had a
nice, nostalgic feel of a classic B horror film. Adrian W. Lilly did a great
job crafting this narrative and pacing it out, leading up to an end that left me
grinning.
The premise is simple
enough, as I think works best for stories of this type. A group of disparate
characters are brought together to go on a week-long camping trip, designed to
leave your technological habits behind and take part in the glories of nature.
All the characters have different motivations for being along for the trip and
Lilly does a nice job presenting them all with little vignettes before the
story gets underway.
One thing I would note here
is that in a story that is this short, it can be difficult to pull it off with
such a large cast of characters. Lines are blurred and people start blending
together. Being completely honest, as I started to read the book, this was
running through my mind. However, Lilly does a pretty good job keeping everyone
straight and lends a unique enough voice to them that it isn’t too much
trouble, telling who’s who. I did find that there wasn’t any particular
character that I found myself rooting for or against. I didn’t really feel
particularly invested in any of them, save for the fact that they are all in
the same situation of distress. However, for the kind of story this is, I think
that is ultimately more effective. I don’t see this necessarily as a character
driven story as much as the horror of their situation and seeing it unfold.
Lilly does a good job
finding the archetypes within this story and mixes them together quite well.
Whether it’s the teenager with the attitude problem or the concerned mother or
the self-involved or the ones simply trying to make healthier life decisions,
this story definitely gives each character a reason for being on the screen.
One thing that could have
made the story stronger, in my opinion would be if it was a little bit longer.
There are moments where the book felt rushed to me and I kind of wish the
tension had been drawn out a little bit more. The monster makes its presence
known very early in the book and everyone seems to figure out quite rapidly
what they are dealing with. There seems to be very little mental transition
with the characters who quickly come to terms with the notion of discovering
that werewolves are real. And there is one of my personal pet peeves when one
of the characters identifies the monster as a werewolf, stating, “haven’t you
seen any movies?” or something to that effect. My problem with that particular
device whenever I have seen it used is that it purports to artificially place
the story in some realm that exists above and outside that of the “normal”
world of fiction and make-believe. I’m already willing to cast up my suspension
of disbelief going into the story, techniques like this aren’t needed.
The quality of the writing
is good. I thought that Lilly was efficient with the prose and while I thought
some of the physical descriptions could have been punched up a little, overall
I thought it was well done. It’s an efficient story. It goes in, hits you where
it counts, and strolls off the stage. Maybe there is something to be said for
that.
I didn’t feel like the story
really strayed too far in terms of trying to take any risks or break new
ground. However, the ending provides a nice little twist that, for me, ended up
elevating the book to the four star rating I would give it.
Overall, great reading
experience. It would be a nice option to distract yourself on a short flight or
on a road trip and I was happy to have had the opportunity to read it.
General rating:
★★★★
Reviewed by Chad
Clark.
If you would like to help support Confessions of a
Reviewer, then please consider using the links below to buy The Moon in Your Eyes or any other books
from Adrian. This not only supports us but also lets us know how many people
actually like to buy books after reading our reviews
Thanks.
Book Synopsis:
A group of strangers enters the woods on a week-long
camping trip to escape technology. But, the trek meant to test their endurance
has them fighting for their lives when they cross paths with a blood-thirsty
werewolf.
Victor is the guide on the expedition, and he has only
one goal: to use his years of experience to get everyone in and out safely.
Eighteen-year-old Taylor, and his mother, Leah, are only joining the trip after
a judge ordered Taylor, who caused a car wreck while texting, to go. Odette is
hoping to shed a few pounds while treating herself to a relaxing week in the
woods after a long, hard year. Tech-addicted Brent is always looking for a
challenge, and burnt out with mud runs, thinks this week-long hike is just the
thing. Chelsea read in her favorite blog that this was the new thing to do, so
she’s doing it. Merle used to always camp with his wife before she died, and he
thinks camping with a group is the best way to try again.
But the first night they are awakened by the sound of an
animal outside their tents. When Victor investigates, something tackles him to
the ground. Suddenly, the camp erupts into chaos, and the campers scatter, only
to be hunted down, and watch in horror, as their numbers dwindle.
Adrian W. Lilly is the author of The Moon in Your Eyes,
The Runes Trilogy (The Wolf at His Door, The Wolf in His Arms, and The Wolf at
War), The Devil You Know and Red Haze. Adrian's writing focuses on strong
character development and the nuances of fear that build toward horror. The
mansion in his first novel was inspired by houses in the Victorian neighborhood
where he lives. He is a fan of Gothic suspense movies and novels, which greatly
influence his writing.
Adrian writes novels, short stories and poetry and has
spent many years as a copywriter in the advertising industry.
And for more about Adrian, visit his site or find him on
social media:
Website – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads – Amazon Page
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